SANAA: At least 49 migrants, mostly women and children, are reported dead and more than 140 others are missing as a boat carrying more than 200 migrants sank off Yemen in the latest disaster on the perilous migration route from Africa, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday.
The incident occurred off the southern province of Shabwah on Monday, where the vessel, carrying 260 persons, encountered perilous waters. Among the confirmed fatalities are 31 women and six children.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by significant challenges, including a shortage of operational patrol boats. Despite these obstacles, search and rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities endeavor to locate the 140 persons still missing at sea. It said that 115 Somali nationals and 145 Ethiopians were initially on board the vessel before it sank.
The migrants, hailing from Somalia and Ethiopia, embarked on their journey from Bossaso in Somalia, seeking refuge and better prospects amid escalating conflicts, natural disasters, and economic hardships in their home countries. The recent surge in migrants from the Horn of Africa underscores the desperation driving people to undertake such treacherous voyages.
The perilous journey across the Red Sea towards Yemen is fraught with danger, with migrants often facing further threats to their safety upon arrival.
